History

DC Films began prior to May 2016 as a production banner.[1] In 2014, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara announced no fewer than 10 DC movies out to 2020.[4] The DC Extended Universe operated under a "director-driven" mandate.[1]

After Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, the studio made moves to correct its direction.[1] Warner Bros. Pictures reorganized in May 2016 to have genre-responsible film executives. Thus DC Entertainment franchise films under Warner Bros. were placed under a newly created division, DC Films, created under Warner Bros. executive vice president Jon Berg and DC chief content officer Geoff Johns. This was done in hopes of competing more directly with Marvel Studios. Johns also kept his existing role at DC Comics.[5] However, the division's formation was not designed to override the "director-driven" mandate.[1]

The Justice League film had one of the biggest film budgets (nearly $300 million) but grossed about $96 million in its opening weekend. A Washington Post analysis expected that there would be a course correction again with a possible change in leadership.[4]Forbes contributors felt the course correction would be for DC Films to give up on the shared universe while continuing with the Wonder Woman films and occasionally other films, as Warner Bros. has other franchises they can work with.[6] Despite this, in December the studio reiterated their current film slate for the unofficially titled DC Extended Universe.[7] That same month, Warner Bros. announced that a new strategy and organization of DC Films would occur with Berg leaving his position as studio's co-president of production to form a Warner Bros.-based production company with Roy Lee, the producer of The LEGO Movie and It. In January 2018, it was announced that Warner Bros. executive Walter Hamada will be the new president of DC Films, and will oversee the movies in the DC Extended Universe. Hamada has been closely associated with New Line Cinema, and helped developed horror movies, such as It and The Conjuring film franchises.[8]

Criticism over "director-driven" mandate

DC Films was promoted as having a "director-driven" mandate, however, it was met with skepticism. Suicide Squad actress Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn and the producer of several upcoming Harley Quinn-related movies stated that (DC) producers must trust their director's vision. “In the DC Universe, too, once you decide on who your director is, and they have a vision, you have to enable that vision and step in at moments to keep it on course if need be. I think that’s the way. I think that’s what a producer should do," Robbie said.[9]Joss Whedon, who was hired to do re-shoots for Justice League, originally wanted a funnier opening sequence involving Batman. However, instead of adhering to Whedon's vision the studio tweaked the scene to make it serious. Whedon also dealt with studio pressure to make the movie funnier and lighter in the wake of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s negative reviews because of its dark tone. He was also tasked to make the movie under two hours long.[10][11] Director Rick Famuyiwa, who was originally involved the upcoming Flash movie, disparaged Justice League over the success of Black Panther, which surpassed the total U.S. gross of Justice League in just four days and became one of the highest-grossing films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He parted ways from Warner Bros. due to creative differences. In November 2017, it was reported that the studio wanted to recast Kiersey Clemons who was Famuyiwa's pick to play Iris West. Her scene was cut from Justice League. It was also hinted that it was the studio's decision to move away from Famuyiwa's take on the Flash.[12]

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Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and first appeared in Detective Comics #27, in 1939. Originally named the "Bat-Man", the character is also referred to by such epithets as the Caped Crusader, the Dark Knight, and the World's Greatest Detective.Batman's secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and owner of Wayne Enterprises. After witnessing the murder of his parents Dr. Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne as a child, he swore vengeance against criminals, an oath tempered by a sense of justice. Bruce Wayne trains himself physically and intellectually and crafts a bat-inspired persona to fight crime.Batman operates in the fictional Gotham City with assistance from various supporting characters, including his butler Alfred, police commissioner Gordon, and vigilante allies such as Robin. Unlike most superheroes, Batman does not possess any superpowers; rather, he relies on his genius intellect, physical prowess, martial arts abilities, detective skills, science and technology, vast wealth, intimidation, and indomitable will. A large assortment of villains make up Batman's rogues gallery, including his archenemy, the Joker.

The character became popular soon after his introduction in 1939 and gained his own comic book title, Batman, the following year. As the decades went on, differing interpretations of the character emerged. The late 1960s Batman television series used a camp aesthetic, which continued to be associated with the character for years after the show ended. Various creators worked to return the character to his dark roots, culminating in 1986 with The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. The success of Warner Bros. Pictures' live-action Batman feature films have helped maintain the character's prominence in mainstream culture.An American cultural icon, Batman has garnered enormous popularity and is among the most identifiable comic book characters. Batman has been licensed and featured in various adaptations, from radio to television and film, and appears in merchandise sold around the world, such as apparel, toys, and video games. The character has also intrigued psychiatrists, with many offering interpretations of his psyche. In 2015, FanSided ranked Batman as number one on their list of "50 Greatest Super Heroes In Comic Book History". Kevin Conroy, Rino Romano, Anthony Ruivivar, Peter Weller, Bruce Greenwood, Jason O'Mara, and Will Arnett, among others, have provided the character's voice for animated adaptations. Batman has been depicted in both film and television by Lewis Wilson, Robert Lowery, Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), or simply Birds of Prey, is an upcoming American superhero film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and based on the DC Comics superhero team Birds of Prey. It is intended to be a spin-off from 2016's Suicide Squad and the eighth film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by Cathy Yan from a screenplay by Christina Hodson, it stars Margot Robbie, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina, and Ewan McGregor. Set after the events of Suicide Squad, the film follows Harley Quinn as she joins forces with Black Canary, the Huntress, and Renee Montoya to save Cassandra Cain from Gotham City crime lord Black Mask.

Robbie, who also serves as producer, pitched the idea for Birds of Prey to Warner Bros. in 2015. The studio announced the development of the film in May 2016 before the release of Suicide Squad. Hodson was hired to write the script in November, while Yan signed to direct in April 2018. Principal photography began in January 2019 and is set to take place in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Savannah, Georgia; it is expected to be completed by mid-April 2019. Birds of Prey is expected to be the first theatrically released R-rated film in the DCEU.Birds of Prey is scheduled to be released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures on February 7, 2020.

DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. since 1967. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, and produces material featuring numerous culturally iconic heroic characters including: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Nightwing, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Hawkman, Cyborg and Supergirl.

Most of their material takes place in the fictional DC Universe, which also features teams such as the Justice League, the Justice Society of America, the Suicide Squad, and the Teen Titans, and well-known villains such as The Joker, Lex Luthor, Catwoman, Darkseid, Sinestro, Brainiac, Black Adam, Ra's al Ghul and Deathstroke. The company has also published non-DC Universe-related material, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and many titles under their alternative imprint Vertigo.

The initials "DC" came from the company's popular series Detective Comics, which featured Batman's debut and subsequently became part of the company's name. Originally in Manhattan at 432 Fourth Avenue, the DC Comics offices have been located at 480 and later 575 Lexington Avenue; 909 Third Avenue; 75 Rockefeller Plaza; 666 Fifth Avenue; and 1325 Avenue of the Americas. DC had its headquarters at 1700 Broadway, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, but it was announced in October 2013 that DC Entertainment would relocate its headquarters from New York to Burbank, California in April 2015.Random House distributes DC Comics' books to the bookstore market, while Diamond Comic Distributors supplies the comics shop specialty market. DC Comics and its longtime major competitor Marvel Comics (acquired in 2009 by The Walt Disney Company, WarnerMedia's main competitor) together shared approximately 70% of the American comic book market in 2017.

The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is the unofficial term used to refer to an American media franchise and shared universe that is centered on a series of superhero films, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and based on characters that appear in American comic books by DC Comics. The shared universe, much like the original DC Universe in comic books and the television programs, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters. The films have been in production since 2011 and in that time Warner Bros. has distributed six films. The series has grossed over $4.90 billion at the global box office, currently making it the 12th highest-grossing film franchise.

The films are written and directed by a variety of individuals and feature large, often ensemble, casts. Several actors, including Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, and Ray Fisher, have appeared in numerous films of the franchise, with continued appearances in sequels planned. In May 2016, DC's chief creative officer Geoff Johns and Warner Bros. executive vice president Jon Berg were appointed to co-run the DC Films division and oversee creative decisions, production and story-arcs in order to create a cohesive overarching plot within the films. In January 2018, Walter Hamada was appointed the president of DC Films, replacing Berg.

The first film in the DCEU was Man of Steel (2013) followed by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), and Aquaman (2018). The franchise will continue with scheduled release dates for Shazam! (2019), Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), The Batman (2021), The Suicide Squad (2021), and The Flash (2021). A multitude of other projects are in various stages of development.

DC Universe is a video-on-demand service operated by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Digital Networks. It was announced in April 2017, with the title and service formally announced in May 2018. The service includes original television programming, access to select animated series and films from DC's back catalogue, a rotating selection of comics from DC Comics, forum discussion space, and a merchandise store. DC Universe launched in a beta state in late August 2018, with its full release on September 15, 2018.

Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter and film and television producer. He served as the President and Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of DC Entertainment from 2016 to 2018, after his initial appointment as CCO in 2010. Some of his most notable work has used the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash, and Superman.

In 2018, he stepped down from his executive role at DC Entertainment to open a production company, Mad Ghost Productions, to focus on writing and producing film, television and comic book titles based on DC properties. Some of his work in television includes the series Blade, Smallville, Arrow and The Flash. He was a co-producer on the film Green Lantern (2011) and a producer on Justice League (2017). He co-wrote the story for Aquaman (2018) and the screenplay for Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).

John Francis Daley (born July 20, 1985) is an American actor, screenwriter, comedian and film director. He is known for playing high school freshman Sam Weir on the NBC comedy-drama Freaks and Geeks and FBI criminal profiler Dr. Lance Sweets on the series Bones, for which he was nominated for a 2014 PRISM Award. He plays keyboards and sings for the band Dayplayer.In cinema, Daley is known for his collaborative work with Jonathan Goldstein as a film-making duo. The pair have worked on various projects together. Daley and Goldstein's first work together was initially based in comedy where they were co-screenwriters for Horrible Bosses (2011), co-writers for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), co-story writers for Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), and co-wrote/co-directed the fifth film in the National Lampoon's Vacation film series, Vacation (2015). The duo were co-story writers for the Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) with Jon Watts, Christopher Ford, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, and they co-directed the 2018 comedy Game Night. In 2018, the pair signed on as directors for the Flashpoint film, which will be part of the shared universe Warner Bros. and DC Films.

Joker is an upcoming American crime film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and based on the DC Comics character Joker. It is intended to be the first film in a series of DC-based films separate from the shared DC Extended Universe (DCEU). The film is directed by Todd Phillips from a screenplay he wrote with Scott Silver, and stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, along with Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Douglas Hodge, Marc Maron, Josh Pais, and Shea Whigham. In Joker, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and becomes a psychopathic criminal mastermind.

Phoenix had been interested in a lower-budget character study-type film about a comic book villain since 2014. After deciding to de-emphasize the shared nature of the DCEU, Warner Bros. and DC Films announced plans for a Joker-centered film in August 2017, with Phillips directing and producing, as well as co-writing with Silver. Martin Scorsese was also attached to produce, although he dropped out in July 2018 and was replaced by Emma Tillinger Koskoff. Principal photography began on September 10, 2018 in New York City, and eventually moved to Jersey City and Newark.

Joker is scheduled to be released by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 4, 2019.

Jonathan Michael Goldstein (born September 2, 1968) is an American screenwriter, television writer/producer, and film director. He has written for numerous situation comedies, including The PJ's starring Eddie Murphy, The Geena Davis Show, Good Morning Miami, Four Kings, and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

He is known in cinema for his collaborative work with John Francis Daley as a film-making duo. The pair have worked on various projects together. Daley and Goldstein's earlier work was predominantly based in the comedy genre where they were co-screenwriters for Horrible Bosses (2011), co-writers for The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), co-story writers for Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), and also co-wrote/co-directed the fifth film in the National Lampoon's Vacation film series, Vacation (2015). The duo received co-writer credits for Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) with other screenwriters, which was met with critical and financial success; and they co-directed the 2018 black comedy Game Night, which also met with critical and financial success. The pair were announced as directors for the Flashpoint film, which will be part of the shared universe Warner Bros. and DC Films has created for their comic book super heroes.

Kevin Ken Tsujihara (born October 25, 1964) is a Japanese American businessman serving as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment. He succeeded Barry Meyer as CEO on March 1, 2013 and as chairman in December 2013, having previously served as President of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Upon assuming the role of CEO, Tsujihara became the first Asian American to run a major Hollywood studio.

DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book publishers. It produces material featuring numerous well-known superhero characters, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. Most of this material takes place in a shared fictional universe, which also features teams such as the Justice League, the Suicide Squad, and the Teen Titans. The company has also published non-DC Universe-related material, including V for Vendetta, and many titles under their alternative imprint Vertigo.

Film adaptations based on DC Comics properties have included serials, live action and animated films, direct-to-video releases, television films, fan-made films, and documentary films.

NetherRealm Studios is an American video game developer based in Chicago, Illinois, founded in May 2010 to replace Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's WB Games Chicago subsidiary. Led by video game industry veteran and Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, the studio is in charge of developing the Mortal Kombat and Injustice series of fighting games.

TT Fusion Limited (formerly Embryonic Studios Limited) is a British video game developer and a division of TT Games. Based in Stockport, England, Embryonic Studios was founded in 2005 by former staff of Warthog Games, including Nick Elms, Andrew Whalley, John Lomax, Roger Bacon and Derek Senior. The company was acquired by TT Games on 4 January 2007, and became TT Fusion.On 8 November 2007, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced that they had purchased TT Games for an undisclosed amount as part of their expansion into the video game industry.

TT Games Limited is a British holding company and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in 2005 through the merger of developer Traveller's Tales and publisher Giant Interactive Entertainment, subsequently TT Games Publishing. Its other branches include developer TT Fusion, animation studio TT Animation and mobile games companies Playdemic and TT Odyssey. The company is known for the Lego video game series.

The title "TT Games" is often used to collectively describe the company and all of its divisions and subsidiaries.

Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television and film production company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television. Telepictures was established in 1978 by Michael Garin as a television syndication firm.

The Death of Superman is a 2018 American animated direct-to-video superhero film produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment. It is based on the DC comic book storyline of the same name. The film, which chronicles the battle between Superman (Jerry O'Connell) and Doomsday, is the 32nd installment in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies and the 11th film in the DC Animated Movie Universe. Released on July 24, 2018 the film received a limited theatrical release on January 13, 2019. A sequel, Reign of the Supermen, was released on January 15, 2019.

Zachary Levi Pugh (born September 29, 1980) is an American actor and singer. He played Chuck Bartowski in the series Chuck and appeared in films such as Tangled, Thor: The Dark World, and Thor: Ragnarok.

Levi starred in the lead role of Georg Nowack in the 2016 Broadway revival of She Loves Me opposite Laura Benanti, for which he received a Tony Award nomination. In 2010, Levi voiced Flynn Rider in the animated film Tangled, in which he performed the duet "I See the Light" with Mandy Moore; the song won a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media. He later reprised the role in the short film Tangled Ever After, and returned to voice Flynn Rider again in a Disney Channel television series based on the film in 2017. In October 2017, he was cast as the title character in DC Films' Shazam!, as a part of the DC Extended Universe. The film is scheduled to be released April 5, 2019.

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